Gingerbread

1 2/3 C. flour
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1 1/4 t. ginger
3/4 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. molasses
1/2 C boiling water
1/2 C. vegetable oil
glaze: 2/3 C. confectioner’s sugar and 3 T. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9" square pan. Sift first 5 ingredients.
Add egg, sugar, and molasses. Mix until smooth. Add boiling water
and oil, mix until smooth. Bake 35-40 minutes. Glaze while hot.

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Nectarine Cardamom Ice Cream

Total time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour 30 minutes standing and freezing

Serves: 8

Note: Making ices does not require an ice cream maker. Place the
mixture in a bowl in the freezer and stir occasionally until the mixture
is the consistency of soft serve. Allow to freeze. If frozen overnight
ice may develop so allow it to warm slightly before serving.

2 pounds nectarines pitted and chopped
3/4 C. sugar
1 T. whole cardamom pods
1/2 C. whole milk
1/2 C. whipping cream
1/2 t. salt

1. You should have about 4 cups of fruit. Place this in a bowl with
the sugar and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. Lightly crush the cardamom pods with a rolling pin--just enough to
expose the black seeds inside. Combine the cardamom with the
milk, cream, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over
medium heat about 5 minutes. As soon as bubbles appear around
the rim remove from heat and cover. Set aside for 30 minutes to
steep.

3. Drain the spices from the milk and discard. Puree the fruit and milk
in a blender about 2 minutes until smooth--bits of peel will be visible.
The mixture will be slightly thicker than a milkshake. Finish with
option A or B below.

A. Pour the blended fruit into a bowl and freeze for 1-2 hours stirring
occasionally.

B. If you are using an ice cream maker. Pour the blended fruit into a
bowl and chill about 30 minutes. When chilled follow the instructions
for the ice cream maker. When the ice is the texture of soft serve
transfer it to the freezer to harden.

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Mango Ginger Ice Cream

Total time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour 30 minutes standing and freezing

Serves: 8

Note: Making ices does not require an ice cream maker. Place the
mixture in a bowl in the freezer and stir occasionally until the mixture
is the consistency of soft serve. Allow to freeze. If frozen overnight
ice may develop so allow it to warm slightly before serving.

3 pounds mangos peeled pitted and chopped--do not cut tool close
to the seed because the fruit there is fibrous and will not puree.
3/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. (packed) peeled and finely chopped ginger
1 C. whole milk
1/2 C. whipping cream
1/2 t. salt

1. You should have about 4 cups of fruit. Place this in a bowl with
the sugar and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. Combine the ginger with the milk, cream, and salt in a small
saucepan over medium heat until just warm. Cover and set aside for
30 minutes to steep.

3. Drain the ginger from the milk and discard. Puree the fruit and milk
in a blender until smooth. The mixture will be slightly thicker than a
milkshake. Finish with option A or B below.

A. Pour the blended fruit into a bowl and freeze for 1-2 hours stirring
occasionally.

B. If you are using an ice cream maker. Pour the blended fruit into a
bowl and chill about 30 minutes. When chilled follow the instructions
for the ice cream maker. When the ice is the texture of soft serve
transfer it to the freezer to harden.

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Spiced Plum Ice Cream

Total time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour 30 minutes standing and freezing

Serves: 8

Note: Making ices does not require an ice cream maker. Place the
mixture in a bowl in the freezer and stir occasionally until the mixture
is the consistency of soft serve. Allow to freeze. If frozen overnight
ice may develop so allow it to warm slightly before serving.

2 pounds red-skinned plums pitted and chopped
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 t. black peppercorns
1/2 t. whole allspice
1/4 C. whole milk
3/2 C. whipping cream
1/2 t. salt

1. You should have about 4 cups of fruit. Place this in a bowl with
the sugar and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. Crush the peppercorns and allspice with one or two pulses of a
spice grinder. Combine the spices with the milk, cream, and salt in a
small saucepan over medium heat and simmer about 3 minutes. As
soon as bubbles appear around the rim remove from heat and
cover. Set aside for 30 minutes to steep.

3. Drain the spices from the milk and discard. Puree the fruit and milk
in a blender until smooth--bits of peel will be visible. The mixture will
be slightly thicker than a milkshake. Finish with option A or B below.

A. Pour the blended fruit into a bowl and freeze for 1-2 hours stirring
occasionally.

B. If you are using an ice cream maker. Pour the blended fruit into a
bowl and chill about 30 minutes. When chilled follow the instructions
for the ice cream maker. When the ice is the texture of soft serve
transfer it to the freezer to harden.

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Stir Crazy Cake

Note: This all-in-one-pan cake is very good and easy clean up!
2.5 C. all purpose flour
1.5 C. sugar
1/2 C. cocoa
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2/3 C. vegetable oil
2 T. vinegar
1 T. vanilla
2 C. cold coffee (or cold water)
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

Put flour, 1.5 C. sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt into an ungreased
13x9x2" metal baking pan. Stir with a fork to mix; form three wells in
the flour mixture. pour oil into one well, vinegar into one, and vanilla
in one. Pour cold coffee over all ingredients and stir with a fork until
well mixed. Do not beat. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon;
sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350° F for 35-40 minutes.

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Cinnamon Coffee Cake

2 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C. butter
1 C. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 pint sour cream
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C. chopped nuts
1/2 C. sugar
2 t. cinnamon

Mix flour, soda, powder, salt. Cream butter in large bowl, gradually
add 1 cup sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs. Add dry
ingredients alternatively with sour cream. Add vanilla. Pour half the
mixture into 9 inch tube pan which has been greased. Combine 1/2
c. sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle half this mixture over batter,
pour remaining batter into pan and sprinkle remaining sugar mixture
on top. Bake 350° for 40-45 minutes.

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Dump Cake

1 can crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1 package dry white cake mix
1 C. chopped nuts
2 sticks butter or margarine

Spread pineapple evenly in a 9x13" baking pan. Cover this with the
cherry pie mix. Next sprinkle on the dry cake mix and level—do not
mix. Sprinkle on the chopped nuts. Cut butter into chunks and put
on top. Bake 350° for 55 minutes.

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Lemon Bars

Crust:
3/4 C. flour
1/3 C. soft butter or margarine
1/4 C. lemon confectioners sugar
Filling:
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
3 T. flour
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. baking powder
1 medium sized lemon

Start by making the crust. Mix flour and sugar in bowl. Cut in butter
with knife and fork and press into 8x8x2" lightly greased pan. Bake
at 350° for 20 minutes. Make the filling. Remove the pits from the
lemon. Zest, finely grate or food process the entire lemon including
the peel. Mix the lemon with the other filling ingredients until
blended. Pour this mixture into the pan after the crust has baked for
20 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon sugar. Bake 25 more minutes.
Cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve cold. Cut into 9 bars.

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Mousse In A Minute

Makes 10 4 oz. servings

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 C. sugar (optional)
3 T. coffee
1/4 C. kahlua or ?
4 egg yolks
1.5 C half and half or whipping cream

Put first 6 ingredients in blender. Heat the half and half to almost
boiling and pour into blender. Blend until color is even. Pour into
individual cups or glasses and refrigerate for several hours.

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Meyer Lemon Cardamom Ice Cream

Makes 1 Quart

5 Meyer lemons
1 tablespoon cardamom pods, crushed
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
6 large egg yolks
3 cup whipping cream

Peel 1 lemon with a vegetable peeler, taking care not
to cut into the bitter white pith. Place the peel in a nonreactive medium
saucepan with the crushed cardamom, half-and-half and sugar.
Scrape the vanilla pod seeds into the pan and drop in the pod.
Heat over high heat to just under a boil.
Remove from the heat, and allow to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, and then pour in some
of the hot half-and-half mixture, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture
back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a strainer (I used a cheese cloth) into a bowl.
Finely grate the zest of 2 lemons and add it to the mixture.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Add the cream to the mixture. Juice all 5 lemons and add the juice
(you should have about three-fourths cup) to the cream mixture.
Chill thoroughly.

Put this into the freezer. Stir it a couple times as it thickens
and hardens so the ice forms consistently.
Serve with a bit of lemon zest on top.

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 10 Dozen

1 1/2 c. butter
1 c. peanut butter
2 c. sugar (or less)
2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed (or less)
1/2 vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (can omit)
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 c. oatmeal
2 c. raisins, dried carnberries or something you would like

Cream butter, peanut butter with sugar and eggs. Blend well.
Add milk and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon.
Add oatmeal and raisins. Mix well.

Drop on greased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes until done.
They freeze well.

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Black Currant Scones

From LA Times Culinary SOS Adapted from La Provence Cafe

5 3/4 C. Flour
1 scant C. sugar
1 3/4 t. baking soda
1 3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 sticks cold butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 eggs divided
1 1/4 t. vanilla extract
3/4 C. buttermilk
2 1/2 C. black currants
2 T. milk

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder,
baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
In a medium bowl whisk together 2 of the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.
Pour the buttermilk mixture over the dry ingredients and stir
to evenly distribute. Stir in the currants. Pour the mixture onto
a dry cutting board and kneed to for a cohesive mass.
Be careful not to over mix or the dough will be tough.

Scoop the scones onto a parchment lined (or not)
baking sheet--about 1/2 cup per scone. Leave 3 inches between each.

In a small bowl mix together the egg and milk to make an egg wash.
Brush this over each scone.

Bake the scones until puffed, lightly browned, and a toothpick
inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes, rotating halfway
through for even coloring.

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British Trifle

From Mrs. Trimble 1988

Seedless Grapes
Mandarin Oranges
Other fruit if desired
Rum, Brandy or flavorful liquor
1 package Lady Fingers (trifle sponges)
2 Jello packets (make two different color choices)
1 package egg custard
Milk to make the custard

This is easy to do and all about presentation.
It is light enough for a summer dessert or for a dessert after a big holiday meal.

Use either a large glass bowl or individual clear glass dessert bowls.

Start by placing the Lady Fingers in a star pattern on the bottom of the bowl.
Pour over this some rum or liquor of your choice.
Place the fruit around the sponges in a pattern. Dissolve the Jello and pour over.
Chill until set. Dissolve the second Jello and pour over.
Chill until set. Make up the custard and pour over.
Serve when set topped with whipped cream.

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